What is hacking?

1.originally, someone who makes furniture with an axe1. A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary.

2. One whoprograms enthusiastically (even obsessively) or who enjoys programmingrather than just theorizing about programming.

3. Aperson capable of appreciating hack value.

4. A person who is good at programming quickly.

5. An expert at a particular program, or one who frequently does work using it or on it; as in ‘aUnix hacker.’ (Definitions 1 through 5 are correlated, and people who fit them congregate.)

6. An expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker, for example. 7. One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventinglimitations.

8. [deprecated] A malicious meddler who tries to discover sensitive information by poking around. Hence‘password hacker,’ ‘network hacker.’ The correct term for this sense is cracker.

Cracker

One who breaks security on a system. Coined ca. 1985 by hackersin defense against journalistic misuse of hacker (q.v., sense . Anearlier attempt to establish ‘worm’ in this sense around 1981–82on Usenet was largely a failure.

Use of both these neologisms reflects a strong revulsion againstthe theft and vandalism perpetrated by cracking rings. While it isexpected that any real hacker will have done some playful crackingand knows many of the basic techniques, anyone past larval stageis expected to have outgrown the desire to do so except for immediate,benign, practical reasons (for example, if it’s necessary to getaround some security in order to get some work done).Thus, there is far less overlap between hackerdom and crackerdomthan the mundane reader misled by sensationalistic journalismmight expect. Crackers tend to gather in small, tight-knit,very secretive groups that have little overlap with the huge, openpoly-culture this lexicon describes; though crackers often like todescribe themselves as hackers, most true hackers consider them aseparate and lower form of life.

It’s clear that the term cracker is absolutely meant to be derogatory. Oneshouldn’t take the tone too seriously though, as The Jargon File is done with asense of humor, and the above is said with a smile. As we can see from theabove, illegal or perhaps immoral activity is viewed with disdain by the “truehackers,” whomever they may be. It also makes reference to cracker being apossible intermediate step to hacker, perhaps something to be overcome.

Script Kiddie

The term script kiddie has come into vogue in recent years. The term refers tocrackers who use scripts and programs written by others to perform their intrusions.If one is labeled a “script kiddie,” then he or she is assumed to be incapableof producing his or her own tools and exploits, and lacks properunderstanding of exactly how the tools he or she uses work. As will be apparentby the end of this chapter, skill and knowledge (and secondarily, ethics) are theessential ingredients to achieving status in the minds of hackers. By definition,a script kiddie has no skills, no knowledge, and no ethics.

Phreak

A phreak is a hacker variant, or rather, a specific species of hacker. Phreak isshort for phone phreak (freak spelled with a ph, like phone is). Phreaks arehackers with an interest in telephones and telephone systems. Naturally, therehas been at times a tremendous amount of overlap between traditional hackerroles and phreaks.

White Hat/Black Hat/Gray Hat

White Hat Hacker:

White Hat hackers are good guys who does the hacking for defensing. They probably work an organization for providing security.

Black Hat Hacker

Black hat hackers are bad guys(the malicious hackers or crackers). They usually steal the other bank information and steal the money. They use their skills for illegal purposes.They are creators of viruses,malware,spyware.They will destroy your pc.

Gray Hat Hackers

Grey hats are hackers who may work offensively or defensively, depending on the situation.This is the dividing line between hacker and cracker. Both are powerful forces on the Internet,and both will remain permanently. And some individuals qualify for both categories. Theexistence of such individuals further clouds the division between these two groups of people.In addition to these groups, there are self-proclaimed ethical hackers, who are interested inhacker tools mostly from a curiosity standpoint. They may want to highlight security problemsin a system or educate victims so they secure their systems properly. These hackers aredoing their “victims” a favor. For instance, if a weakness is discovered in a service offered byan investment bank, the hacker is doing the bank a favor by giving the bank a chance to rectifythe vulnerability.

Get to the Basics....Three types of hackers are there....1. White Hat hacker: These are hacker which you know as Ehical Hackers. They are hired by a Software company to know if there's any loop hole in their software or OS which makes the OS or software vulnerable to be hacked. These hackers thing that are legal.

2. Gray Hat hackers:These are hackers which do both legal and illegal works...

3. Black Hat Hacker: Also known as Cracker, they usually use their skills to harm others, hack websites for their own profit etc.